March 27, 2014

Detroit Tigers, Miguel Cabrera agree to 8 year extension: Miguel Cabrera’s bid to become one of the greatest hitters of all time apparently will take place in a Detroit Tigers uniform. Fox Sports reports the extension is for 8 years and $248 million ($31 million per year), the second deal in baseball history worth at least $30 million per season.

Still, despite Illitch's age and overweening desire to win the World Series I don't see how this contract gets him closer to that than waiting at least a year or offering similar per year money for 4-6 years.

This is like the Pujols deal (and boy, did the Cardinals dodge a bullet on that one) -- paying a player for what he has done and not what he is likely to do. That said, if baseball is really as flush as is being reported right now, and revenues continue to go up, the $30MM per year may not be as crippling in 4-6 years when he really starts to decline as it looks now on paper.